Because the Dwarf Shrew is so small, it doesn't trigger the older snap, or box traps, and before 1966, only 18 specimens had been collected. With the use of pitfall traps—which are basically cans sunk into the ground, so that the animal tumbles in and cannot jump out—many more Dwarf Shrews have been trapped, and more has been learned about their distribution, but its range may still be more extensive than has been recorded. It lives throughout the southern and central Rocky Mountains and adjacent plains, in habitats from alpine tundra to arid short-grass prairie. Being small, the Dwarf Shrew can work within smaller areas to prey upon smaller spiders and insect adults and larvae. It is particularly active, even for a shrew, because of its small size and high rate of metabolism.

Also known as:
Rocky Mountain Dwarf Shrew

Sexual Dimorphism:
None

Length:
Range:
82-105 mm

Weight:
Range:
1.8-3.2 g

References:

Merriam, C.H., 1895. Synopsis of the American shrews of the Genus Sorex. North American Fauna, 10:81.